Groundhog Day cake

Groundhog Day is well-known as a strange little holiday that's all about when we're gonna get our long-awaited spring. "Coincidentally," the Pagan holiday of Imbolc is more or less about that same concept: It's about the ending of winter and the melting of the snow. It is a cause for celebration, and that's why we need a cake.

This cake is made with oatmeal, which gives it a nice, heavy, earthy taste. I doubt the ancestors had chocolate often, but the chocolate chips in this recipe are a good modern twist. (After all, even though most of us are not waiting for the ground to thaw enough to plant, we in modern times still eagerly anticipate the ending of the hard winter months!) Prepare this cake for a gathering or just for home munching.

Preheat oven to 350º F. Heat water until boiling. Add oats and stir. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 20 minutes. Melt chips. Stir and set aside. In a small bowl, mix flour, soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend oats and chocolate into creamed mix. Add flour mix. Pour into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 1 1/2-inch pan. Bake 35-40 minutes. Remove and let stand 5-10 minutes. Then turn out onto a flat surface. When cooled, frost as desired.

NOTE: It looks particularly spectacular when iced with white icing only on the top, and dusted with cocoa!